Im About to make my first purchase...have some question

[TauntingBeef]

So I'm new to the hobby, digging this forum. Anyways I have a 55 gallon that I'm going to try to run. So I'm about to make my first set of equipment, Here is my list I have so far. I'm ordering from Bulk Reef for this round. with a 400 dollar limit
1. 4 stage ro/di unit.
2. 40 pounds of Reef Saver rock.
3. Refractometer
4. ????
its number 4 that I'm having probs with. I'm thinking of a test kit but not sure which one. So please a little help or should I start with some other items?

 

[gone fishin]

The first 3 are all good choices. It may help to list what else you have, for example skimmer, powerheads.

 

[MuShu]

A marine test kit. You don't need a reef test kit yet. You will need both eventually.

Do you have salt yet?

 

[bmitchell138]

Are you setting it up as a fish only with live rock (FOWLR) or will it be a reef tank?

 

[billdogg]

I agree with test kit as another must have. For now you'll be just fine with the Red Sea kit to test Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH. If you decide to head down the path of corals, you'll eventually need to test for Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium. My personal favorite for those is Salifert.

As others have mentioned - what other equipment do you have (if any) and what is your long term plan for stocking? That will detrimine other needs.

And FWIW - this hobby is not inexpensive, and you certainly get what you pay for. You, your tank, and it's inhabitants will be best served by purchasing the best quality you can right from the start, rather than trying to cut corners now only to be forced into replacing things down the road, even if it mean it takes a bit longer to actually get the tank wet.

 

[jayball]

If you do not have a powerhead yet than I would add those. The one thing a marine aquarium can not be without is flow. One good and cheap way to start is to grab a pair of hydor korilla evolutions. (They click on startup so do not put them on a wavemaker)

 

[TauntingBeef]

thanks every1 for this info. powerheads and lights are next than. I plan on coral but not for awhile, my plan is to go fowlr as I keep building my system

 

[BigEZ77]

The first 3 are all good choices. It may help to list what else you have, for example skimmer, powerheads.

+1 to this and test kit. Also a heater...preferably two. And likely your most expensive purchase...lighting...but you don't need that just yet.

 

[Sk8r]

Skip the 'kit' test at this point: and buy the Salifert alkalinity test when you do go in quest of tests. A skimmer is going to cost more than 40 by itself and so will lights. Get a top-end heater---cheap ones can burn your house down. What are you using for a return pump? Don't bother getting a filter: your rock and sand do that.

 

[CStrickland]

If your trying to get the tank cycling while you build up the funds for the next round of purchases, I'd buy: rodi, salt, heater, refractometer, powerhead, rock. That's all you really need to start growing bacteria. An ammonia test will let you track that progress.

Check out the rock at reefcleaners.org they are a little cheaper than brs, ship free, and a great small business. Their rock is the same as the reef saver, it's really old reefs that are mined from the ground where the ocean used to be. But reefcleaners does an extra step of removing phosphates from the rock before you buy it that brs doesn't. Those phosphates can cause algae problems when they leach out in your tank. Also, on my order reefcleaners was really nice about picking certain shapes I wanted. Since a 55 can be hard to get the rocks arranged right it might help to be able to ask for smaller rocks or shelfy ones.

Some other budget stuff I like:
Marsaqua LED lights are $90 on eBay. You'll need two for a 55
SunSun powerheads are $10 on Amazon. You'll need a few in a long deep 55 and a spare to mix water
Instant ocean salt (not the reef crystals, the purple label) is fine for now. When you start adding coral you may need to get a fancier kind of salt.
A little chunk of liverock from a healthy established tank is a super shortcut to starting a tank. Either from a good store or even better a local club member.

 

[TauntingBeef]

got my ro/di and rocks in. This Friday I will get my power heads and heaters, than week 3 i will get my controller and skimmer.